CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
When we have some free time, most peoples' thoughts are of family and friends, but there is another group of people who think of something entirely different. Promotions! For most Airmen (me included), this is the beginning of the study for promotion season. Now, as with everything, there are exceptions to this. You will always have those who start studying the day they found out they missed by a certain number of points. Then there are those who start the day before their test date, as well as various times between the two.
Each time I missed the cutoff, I tried something different. I would read and reread my study materials until I could recite it from memory. I tried the Professional Development Guide Gold tapes and CDs. I tried cramming a couple days prior to the test. Each time I finally made the grade, the study method was different than the previous time. For me, it was "third time's the charm" for staff sergeant, technical sergeant, and finally master sergeant. So, in my case, there was no guaranteed way of successful studying to make the next grade. However, doing nothing will guarantee that you will not make the grade.
While you think about what your best study method is, I have some questions for you to ask yourself. Am I really ready for the next stripe? Am I performing at the next level right now? Am I asking for more responsibilities? Just because you are the "senior" senior airman or a four-to-eight year time-in-grade NCO, doesn't automatically mean you're ready to take the next step up the ladder.
Regardless of where you are in your career, you should always be the standard others try to meet and exceed. Are the core values more than just words to you? Look around your workplace and compare yourself to your peers. Do you keep your hair within regulation at all times, or do you push it to the limit? Guys, are your sideburns also at the limit (and a tad beyond)? How does your uniform compare to everyone else's? If your supervisor or first sergeant has to "occasionally" remind you to fix one thing or the other, the answer may be that you're not quite ready yet. Obviously, a good haircut and uniform will not get you promoted any more than being reminded to fix something will keep you from getting promoted. Although, for those competing for a below-the-zone promotion, this could be the deciding factor if everything else is equal for the Airmen competing.
When it comes to volunteer opportunities, is your hand among the first to go up, or do you find the tallest person available and stand behind him? Do you look at these opportunities and pick the one you think will look the best on your enlisted performance report, or do you really try to make a difference in someone's life? With today's operations tempo, it is hard to find time for every opportunity, but there usually is time for a few.
So think about these questions and your answers and what you can do to improve your situation. And, as many before me have said, take care of yourself and each other.